The Smart Sound of Silence

Stop the music! The few seconds of silence and absolute quiet between symphonic movements or song tracks actually engage your brain and promote a healthy brain more than the music itself, say researchers at McGill University and Stanford University School of Medicine. "It's a moment when the brain can enjoy what you've already heard and anticipate what you'll hear next," says Stanford neuroscientist Vinod Menon, PhD. That stimulates areas of the brain that control mental focus and memory, studies show. For a mental workout, queue up music you haven't heard before, from composers or bands with varying styles, and listen to the entire album.

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